Gunmen steal arms from Mexican police

Chihuahua, Mexico, Agency
Gunmen stormed the state police headquarters in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua early Monday and stole around 70 firearms, officials said.

The criminals took assault rifles, pistols and tactical equipment, Chihuahua Public Safety Secretariat spokesman Fidel Bañuelos said.

No one was hurt in the robbery and the gunmen only threatened the officer in charge of the storage area, Bañuelos said.

"We can't tell the exact number of people who managed to enter from the cameras. We are working to determine the exact number because up to now we are talking about six or seven individuals who arrived in one vehicle," the Public Safety Secretariat spokesman said.

Municipal and Federal Police officers, as well as army troops, are patrolling the area.

Security around the state police facility has been tightened due to fears that the gunmen might return.

The incident is "unprecedented" because this is the first time that a state police facility has been stormed, Bañuelos said.

Chihuahua, according to official figures, is Mexico's most violent state.

The northern state is home to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico's murder capital, where more than 8,000 people have been killed since December 2006.